TV star Reece Buttery was the first official entrant in the
Young Driver Challenge

TV star Reece Buttery was the
first official entrant

April 22, 2014: TV star Reece Buttery is first official entrant in new 2014 Young Driver
Challenge

The search is on for Britain’s most talented young driver...who
isn’t legally old enough to drive on the roads yet.

The 2014 Young Driver Challenge is open to those aged between 11 and 16
years and is being run by Young Driver, the UK’s largest provider of
under-17 driving tuition.

The first official entrant of the challenge was Reece Buttery, the
12-year old TV star of the Christmas hit Gangsta Granny and CBBC’s
The Dumping Ground, who set the standard high for the 11-13 age group.

The challenge, which is open for entries until the end of July, judges
the ability of entrants based on a series of driving skills and manoeuvres,
including parallel parking, figures of eight, a turn in the road, steering,
judgement and positioning. Entrants will also have to complete the Goodyear
Driving Academy, an interactive online driving simulator which puts
youngsters’ knowledge of the Highway Code to the test.

Forty top-scoring finalists from across the country, spanning two age
categories (11-13 years and 14-16 years), will then compete at a final to
be held at the Prodrive circuit in the Midlands in September. The winners
will receive a selection of prizes including 40 pre- and post-17 driving
lessons provided by Goodyear, a Young Driver at School session for them and
their classmates and £500 off a car insurance premium courtesy of Young
Driver sponsor Admiral.

Kim Stanton from Young Driver said: “Young Driver was set up with
the intention of reducing the shockingly high number of accidents which
occur shortly after youngsters pass their driving test. We believe it is
important that youngsters learn to drive over a longer period of time and
at a younger age, when they’re more receptive to safety messages.

“We have given 125,000 lessons to under-17s since our launch in
2009, and we have seen so many outstanding young drivers in that time. Most
of the youngsters who take part in our lessons give 100% to perfecting the
skills they are shown and treat the cars with the utmost respect. We wanted
to recognise the hard work our young drivers put in, and show the world how
responsible young people can be when given the appropriate training.

“For the 2014 Young Driver Challenge, we have teamed up with our
sponsors to create a programme that incorporates both practical experience
through Young Driver and education on the Highway Code through the Goodyear
Driving Academy. The prize package reflects this with a fantastic package
of pre and post-17 lessons, as well as offering youngsters and their family
a sizeable discount on their Admiral car insurance.”

Reece Buttery, 12-year old star of TV’s Gangsta Granny and The
Dumping Ground and the first official entrant to the 2014 Young Driver
Challenge, said: “I have had a few Young Driver lessons now, and
they’re great fun, but I’m also very aware that I’m
learning some hugely important skills. I’d urge anyone aged 11-16 to
give it a go, it’s a brilliant experience. You get to do everything
you would in a driving lesson at 17, in a dual controlled car, but
you’re on a specially constructed road course on private property
rather than the real roads. I’m definitely keeping my fingers crossed
that my challenge entry might make it into the top 20 for my age
category!”

For more information about the challenge, or to book a Young Driver
lesson, please log on to Young Driver or call 0844 371
9010.

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